Filing apparatus



R. P. SCHOLFIELD 2,205,932

FILING APPARATUS Filed March 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- Ill/11111121414144} lllllll June 25, 1940. SCHOLFIELD 2,205,932

FILING APXARATUS Filed March 7, 1936' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 38 lflllllllllmlllllmmmfi giz Patented Jmzs, 1940 UNITED STATES mane arrm'ros Richard P. Scholfield, Waterford, Conn, assignor Service, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application March '1, 1936, Serial No. 67,710

'IClaims.

This invention relates to filing apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus of the type comprising a rotatably mounted drum carrying a ,plurality of cards upon its periphery. The invention is directed primarily to means for supporting such drums in novel position to facilitate the operations of inspection and posting of entries on the cards. Although not confined to such use, the supporting structure of the present 10 application is of particular utility in combination with filing drums of the type shownin the co-pending application of Scholfleld et al., Serial No. 600,514, filed March 22, 1932, Patent No. 2,046,655, issued July 7, 1936.

15 It is an object of the present invention to combine a rotatable filing drum with a novel form of supporting structure to facilitate the normal use of the apparatus, particularly in the manual posting of entries on the cards asso- 2 ciated' with the drum. It is a further object to improve the appearance and generally increase the efiiciency of this type of device.

Itis well known that a person writing by hand upon a sheet or card usually turns the sheet 25 sidewise so that the upper and lower margins of the sheet and the lines upon which he is writing extend at an oblique angle to the front edge .of the desk or table, upwardly to the right. This is the natural writing position. It is an object 30 of the present invention to so mount the rotatable filing drums that the cards thereon, when in the posting position, extend at an angle'to the operator, corresponding to this natural writing position.

It is a further well known fact that it is more convenient to write upon a surface inclined upwardly and rearwardly away from the writer than upon a fiat surface. For instance, desks for school children have always been provided 0 with inclined upper surfaces. One important aspect of the present invention consists in providing means for supporting a rotatable card carrying drum so that the cards thereon, when in posting position; will be thus inclined up- 45 wardly and rearwardly away from the operator.

It is a further important object of the invention to combine, with a drum mounted on a horizontal axis or on an axis. slightly inclined from the horizontal, a desk or table-like work- 50 ing surface so that the operator is provided with an appropriate space for the papers or other articles with which he is working. Furthermore,

the invention contemplates mounting -a filing drum so that it may be rotated sidewise past s the operator to expose the successive cards on the drum and to bring them successively to posting. position. An important feature of the invention, in this connection, is the provision of a one-way brake or other means for restraining rotation of the drum in the opposite direction when force is applied to a particular card forposting entries thereon. Thus, the drum may be rotated in a left-hand direction past the operator and, when a particular card has been brought to the posting position, the right hand may be rested thereon and the entry posted, without causing the drum to rotate in a righthand direction. This one-way brake or other restraining means enables the card and drum to act as a firm support during the posting of entries thereon.

In the accompanying drawings, two forms of the invention are shown, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a table support having two filing drums mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a view, partly in section, and partly in elevation, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view with the drum shown in elevation, taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, with the drum shown in elevation, taken on a plane extending from the front to the back of the ap- 3o paratus of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a'vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 5, and v Figure 7 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 4. v

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the support for the rotatable filing drums II), II comprises a table having a rectangular top l2 and legs IS.

The table top I! is provided with two rectangular openings l4, l5, and it should be noted that the edges of these openings are disposed at an angle of about 20 to, the corresponding edges of the table top. Although the invention is not confined to this specific angularity, it has been found convenient to dispose the frontedges I6,

I! of the openings in this relation to thefront edge ll of the table top. Thus, the cards |9 (Figure 1) are in the normal writing position with respect to the operator seated adjacentthe front edge of the table. v

Depending below the table top It is a housing comprising rear end walls 20, front walls 2|, 2|, bottom walls 22, and front and rear side walls 23, 24. The front end wall 2| comprises an inclined portion 2| to increase the leg room for an operator seated at the front edge of the table. The front and rear side walls 23, 24 are provided with sockets 25, 2 which may have angular seats therein or appropriate clamping means for securing the ends of a stub axle 21 against rotation, The front side wall 23 may conveniently be provided with a hinged and locked door 23, to permit access to the inerior of the depending housing.

The drums I. are mounted for rotation upon the stub axles 21 and the connection between the drum and axle comprises a one-way brake 28, the specific details of which need not be shown.

-in the present application, since substantially the construction covered in the prior patent referred to above may be used.

An enclosing top or hood I! may conveniently be hinged to the table as at ill, adjacent the rear edge of each opening H, so that the filing drum may be completely enclosed when not in use. The tops or hoods 2|, when in raised position, serve as a convenient means for supporting cards or other papers, and for this purpose a retaining rib 3'' is positioned, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, to secure the lower ends of such cardsrs. la s hown in the drawings, the sockets 25, 26 are mounted on a horizontal axis disposed in a vertical plane inclined to the front edge of the table, so that the drum and the cards thereon are angularly disposed to theposition of the operator. In certain cases it may be desirable to position the sockets so that the rear one 28 is raised somewhat, above the front one, so that the axis of the drum is inclined from the horizontal. In such a case the housing disposed below the table top should be correspondingly inclined, or may be suiiiciently large to take the drum in inclined relation thereto. Thus, the form of the invention disclosed in Figures 1m 3 is not limited to a horizontal mounting for the axis of the drum.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 to 7, a smaller unit is disclosed, but it must be understood that the same principles could be embodied in a large apparatus comprising any desired number of drums. v

Referring to Figure 4, the apparatus comprises a supporting base 3| comprising front inclined legs 32, rear legs 33, and'horizontal braces 34. Supported upon the base is a cabinet 35 comprising a forwardly and upwardly inclined front wall 36, and vertical back and side walls 31, 38. Supported upon the side wall is a desk-like, inclined top surface 39 which may be disposed on an angle from the horizontal of about 15. The top 3. is provided with a rectangular opening 40 communicating with the interior of the cabinetand having its edges disposed in substantial parallelism with the rear and side edges of the top. The margins of the opening 40 are in substantial parallelism with the side and rear edges of the-table top, but the front edge ll of the top is disposed at an angle to the front edge of the opening, so that an operator seated adjacent that front edge will be in substantially the same relation to the opening ll as an operator working with the apparatus of the form disclosed in Figures 1 tall.

the axle 21 of the drum ll. Moreover, the drum and axle are interconnected by means of a brake 28, as mentioned'above, and as specifically described in the afore-mentioned patent.

A top or hood 44 may be hinged adjacent the rear edge of theopening ll to serve as a cover for the drum when not in use. The rear wall ll of the hood is inclined, as shown in Figure 5, so that the hood, when open, stands in a substantially vertical position on the inclined top II.

In the operation of the improved apparatus, an operator seated adjacent the front edge ll of the table I! (Figure 1) uses the table top for the various papers from which information is to be transferred to the cards it upon the drums II. The drum may be rotated in a left-hand direction (Figures 1 and 2) until the proper card has been brought to the position of the card It. The operator may then rest his hand upon the drum and card, and post the appropriate entry-on the card. The one-way brake will prevent rotation of the drum in a right hand direction and will enable the drum to act as a firm support during the posting operation. The angular position of the drum with respect to the front edge of the table will facilitate the posting of entries on the cards, since the cards are presented in the natural writing position. As pointed out in the patent, the drum may be rotated in a right-hand direction under the application of deliberate turningv force in that direction, but it will not move under the relatively light pressure applied during posting.

The operation of the second form of the invention is substantially the same. An operator seated adjacent the inclined front edge 4| will find the cards presented at the normal writing angle, and, additionally, will find them inclined rearwardly and upwardly, after the manner of a drum having means for carrying a plurality of cards upon its periphery, of a supporting structure adapted to support said drum for rotation upon an axis inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the position normally occupied by an operator, said structure comprising an upper, plane working surface having an edge adjacent the normal position of an operator, and drum mounting means below'said surface disposed upon an axis inclined upwardly and rearwardly from said position, whereby the cards on the upper portion of said drum are disposed upon inclined planes facing the position of the operator, to facilitate posting of entries on said cards.

3. The combination with a rotatable filing drum having means for carrying a plurality of cards upon its periphery, of a supporting structure, said structure comprising an upper plane working surface terminating in a forward edge adjacent the position of an operator, and means for supporting said drum in said structure with its. axis disposed in a plane meeting said edge at an acute angle and tipped rearwardly and tical to support the axle and drum on an inclined axis, and a housing for said drum having at least one of its walls inclined from the vertical to correspond to the inclination of said drum.

5. A filing apparatus comprising a supporting structure and a rotatable filing drum mounted therein having means for carrying a plurality of cards on its periphery, said structure comprising an upper plane working surface terminating in a forward edge adjacent the position of an operator and being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from said position, said surface having a substantially rectangular opening therein and a housing below said opening, said housing comprising a wall depending from one margin of said opening on a plane perpendicular to the plane of said working surface, the forward wall of the housing and the front and rear margins of the opening being disposed in acute angular relation to the forward edge of said plane surface, said drum being mounted in said housing in a symmetrical relation to the margins of the rectangular opening and on an axis inclined on a line parallel to the plane of said working surface, whereby the cards mounted on the periphery of said drum are inclined upwardly and rearwardly and are disposed at an angle to the position of the operator to facilitate the posting of entries thereon. I g

6. The combination with a. rotatable filing drum having means for carrying a plurality of cards upon its periphery and a stub axle upon which said drum is journalled, of a supporting structure for said axle and drum, said structure comprising an upper plane working surface terminating in a forward edge adjacent the position of an operator and inclined upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, said surface being provided with a rectangular opening having the forward margin thereof disposed on an acute angle with respect to said edge of the working surface and inclined rearwardly from left to right, a housing disposed below said surface having a front wall disposed in parallel relation to the front margin of the opening and perpendicular to the plane of said working surface, and supporting means disposed interiorly of saidhousing for said stub axle, said supporting means being disposed on aline normal to the front wall of the housing, whereby the drum is inclined upwardly and rearwardly and is mounted at an angle to the forward edge of the working surface, for the purposes described.

7. The combination of a filing d'rum having means for carrying a plurality of cards upon its periphery, of a supporting structure adapted to support said drum for rotation to bring the cards on the drum successively to a posting position with respect to the position occupied by an operator, said supporting structure comprising an upper plane working surface disposed on a plane inclined upwardly andirearwardly from the position of the operator, said surface having a rectangular opening therein and a housing disposed below the opening, the front wall of the housing being disposed on a plane perpendicular to the plane of said surface, and means for supporting said drum for rotation on an axis below said surface, normal to said front wall and parallel to the inclined plane of said working, surface.

RICHARD P. SCHOLFIELD. 

